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So any GR fans out there with an update on how his season finished up? I was really impressed with his play both last year in training camp and during his short stint with the Wings this season. I am really hoping that the Wings give him a shot a roster spot this fall as everything I have seen in his game the last year looks so very promising. Even if he isn't a full time player, I think being around guys like Z and Pav will only benefit him and the team in the future.

Obviously you are an idiot. Why? Your first statement shows you know absolutely nothing about the player. If you did, you would know that Downey helped lead the Providence Bruins to a Calder Cup. He helped Detroit win a Stanley Cup last year. Winning a championship hurts a team how? Secondly, he hurt Detroit last year how? Stepping up and pummeling Ian Lapierre after his cheap shot to Lidstrom was a detriment to the team? You really are an idiot who should be watching figure skating, not hockey. Cheap shots happen in all sports, people get emotional and therefor stupid. Having a guy who is willing to step up and do something about it is not something everyone can do. Having someone who is willing and able to do it and do it in a way that doesn't hurt his team is hard to find and sorry to say, Downey doesn't hurt his team.

Helm and Leino are great additions, but the only one I really think needs to be replaced is Sammy.
Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Holmstrom
Hossa, Flip, Cleary
Leino, Hudler, Franzen
Malts, Draper, Kopecky
Each of the top 3 lines have a play making center, a scoring winger and a winger that will muck it up in the corners and get in front of the net. Of course the 4 line does what it always does...check and give energy when needed.
Helm will get his time...

I just love how people think in cycles and that becuase its 33 years later its time for a team to come back from 3 - 0 down. If that were how it works, we are about 20,000 years past the 600,000 year mark of Yellowstone exploding and wiping out most of the living things on the planet.
*sarcasm on* Guess Detroit needs to get their golf clubs ready right? *sarcasm off*

Lilja will not be resigned, and if he is will be a bad signing by Holland for the first time in my eyes.
Stuart might be a little tricky to sign as he enjoys California and his wife is a California girl. However, he likes playing for a winning squad and should the Wings win it all this year he might want to come back to do it again.
Flip, Quincy, Eriksson and Howard are all RFA's this summer and need to be resigned. Flip definitely needs to be resigned before July 1st else we might have the Oilers swooping in to try and sign him to a huge contract. (eye roll) We will have a better idea if management thinks Howard is stillt he goalie of the future by if they sign him before July 1st or take a wait and see attitude. Eriksson and Quincy will be signed, might take a little bit but will get done.
I'd personally like to see Sammy moved as I believe he has shown his inability to contribute regardless of the coaching trying to tell the world otherwise. For a guy who is supposed to be a top 6 forward, he plays worse than a 4th line forward. 3rd highest shot total on the team this season with a 4.4% avg and 11 goals. Unacceptable.
Hasek, time to hit the pasture
Cheli, give him another $850k contract and play him maybe half the games. Make it clear we want him back but to mentor Meech, Quincy, Kindl and Eriksson. You can't beat having his presence in the locker room and what he can teach the young kids is just to valuable to give up so soon.
Drake will probaly retire. Has played great during the playoffs and that is exactly why he was signed.
Downey should be signed to another 2 way while Mac should get an invite to camp but no promises.
Hartigan, Stafford won't be back.
With all the talent left the lines for next year shouldn't change to much.
Z - Dats - Homer
Frazen - Flip - Sammy (Unless we can move him then Hudler here)
Cleary - Draper - Maltby
Kopecky(if healthy) - Helm - Hudler
Abdelkader/Leino/Downey
Raffy - Lids
Kronner - ?Stuart
Cheli - Lebda
Meech, Quincy, Kindl, Eriksson
I think the forwards will be fighting next year for jobs in camp, its going to be really nice to see with alll the young talent we have fighting to get a spot on the team. We might see some trades in the summer or at the draft, it could be a very interesting summer in Detroit.
Now with so many young players on defense, I would not be surprised to see Holland trade one of the 4 (Quincy or Meech most likely) young d-men to get a veteran to replace Stuart if he doesn't resign. Camp next year will be really intense and we could see some of the young guys stepping up to challenge for spots.

First, I don't blame Schneider at all for taking a contract with the ducks. He loves California and wanted to go back and he had the opportunity. I had no doubt that he would leave because of how much trouble we had signing him in the first place after we aquired him. I wish him well, I'd welcome him back any day, good player, good guy, did a great job while with the Wings.
Bert, went for the money, thinks he is better than he is, thought he might want to sign for less to be on a winner. Bert, not very smart.
Also, while Cheli was traded here he did have a choice. He had a no trade clause which he waived in order for the deal to get done for him to come to Detroit. I, unlike a lot of folks here it seems, loved Cheli always. From watching him in the Olympics playing for Team USA I loved his style, his passion and no non sense play. I loved watching him play for the Habs, cheered for him when he hoisted the cup and laughed when everyone in Detroit boo'd and hissed at him while in Chicago. I've been very happy he has chosen to stay with the Wings and think he will retire a Wing. If he does retire as a Blackhawk, it will be mostly ceremonial I'm pretty certain.
Shanny saw the writing on the wall and with Stevie retiring, Dats and Hank stepping up to assume leadership, he knew it was time to move on. I am pretty sure he chose NY because it would put him in the perfect place to make the connections he'd need to secure a job after hockey as well as family and his ties there from his days in New Jersey. Loved having him in Detroit and think he is a pretty classy person.
Federov I couldn't have been happier to see him leave. Extremely talented, extremely selfish, extremely over inflated ego. Quite obvious he wasn't as great as everyone made him out to be, for all can see that once he left Detroit he was just a middle of the road player who never established himself again. After sitting out a season over a contract dispute and then forcing the Wings to match a ridiculous offer made by the Hurricane's, showed me his true colour and what kind of person he really was; one that wasn't right for the Red Wings.

Why Mike Babcock calls Mikael Samuelsson an "Elite" player? Or why he is playing on the 2nd line when he should be riding the pine? Let's look at him compared to the player who I think should be on the 2nd line in his place.
Jiri Hudler:
GP - 12
G - 3
A - 9
Pts - 12
+/- -1
Pim - 6
Shifts - 17(avg)
TOI: 11min
Mikael Samuelsson:
GP - 12
G - 2
A - 6
+/- 4
Pim - 8
Shifts - 22(avg)
TOI:16.5min
Jiri Hudler produces more offense with less opportunity than Mikael Samuelsson, how much more would he contribute if given the TOI that Sammy gets?
Paired with Helm/Hartigan and Mac for most of the Playoffs explains why his +/- isn't as good as Sammy's who plays with Flip and Cleary, two excellent two way players.
Hudler is also a better passer, takes the puck away instead of giving it away, hits rather than be hit, drives the net, fights in the corners for pucks and is always in the middle of things when the whistle blows, not starting things after the whistle.
So if Mikael Samuelsson is Elite, what does this make Jiri Hudler?

Lilja and Mac dealing out retribution.. that's funny... Lillypants can't fight and Mac can't catch anyone to lay a hit on them. Focus on winning game three and if the series ends up 3 games to zero, then game 4 let the goonery go. Put Downey in, put in Abdelkader, put in the players who can and will hit, who will play with an edge. Hell, take runs at, cheap shots at or two handed swings at Turco, its not like anyone is really going to get suspended.

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